A collapse and slow rebuilding process has caused the Woodhaven-Richmond Hill Volunteer Ambulance Corps to finally close its doors. File Photo
The partial collapse of a building on Jamaica Avenue in 2013 has had a devastating domino effect on the Woodhaven community.
It seems that the Woodhaven-Richmond Hill Volunteer Ambulance Corps, whose headquarters are located in the building next to the affected edifice, will have to close its doors for good. Queens Supreme Court Judge Diccia Pineda-Kirwan has granted a construction extension to the owner of the partially collapsed building that once housed a furniture shop.
This is a troubling development, particularly for the corps, because structural damage and safety concerns have forced them to temporarily shut down. And Catholic Charities Woodhaven-Richmond Hill Senior Center, which rented building space from the first responders, subsequently relocated, effectively cutting off a critical source of revenue for the WRHVAC. The extension keeps the corps in limbo and the center out of its building, making it nearly impossible for them to once again serve the community.
The news came at the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association town hall last Saturday, leaving the civic’s leadership “fuming,” according to one member.
“The latest extension granted by Justice Pineda-Kirwan has delivered what appears to be a crippling blow to a volunteer organization that has served our community for half a century,” said WRBA Member Ed Wendell. “At the very least, it appears to slam the door on the possibility of our senior center moving back into their home. Almost two years after it collapsed, that corner building continues to cause damage to the ambulance corps, preventing them from rebuilding and getting back on their feet. This story has been one of failure on many levels.”
Since the corps announced that it had to suspend operations in March, 2014, community groups have organized several fundraisers. But it seems it’s not enough, as the volunteer organization’s lawyer, Angelo DiGiangi, indicated to The Forum last year that the corps “is damaged in the millions and millions of dollars.”
In other WRBA news, the group’s officers—president, vice president and treasurer—were reelected by the board of directors during their first town hall of 2015. Additionally, Assemblyman Mike Miller (D-Woodhaven) detailed two pieces of legislation that he is sponsoring in this session in Albany that would impact many Queens communities if passed: one bill would ban out-of-state vehicles from parking overnight on city streets; the other would create a Civil Summons Review Board for tickets issued by the Department of Sanitation.
By Michael V. Cusenza
